Floral racks



C. J. WHITE FLORAL RACKS Sept. 13, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 7,( 1950 g mmm @JW/aff@ ATTORNEY United States Patent O FLORAL RACKS vClarence I. White, Peoria,Ill.

Application November 7, -1950,Serial No. 194,474

Claims. (Cl. 24S-27.8)

.This invention pertains to improvements in lioral racks, that is to say, racks employed in displaying floral pieces. The main object is to construct a i'loral rack of the well known collapsible form wherein the impalement prongs for carrying the oral pieces are mounted on standards or supports that lie forward of the front face of the rack.

as distinguished from the type of rack shown in U. S. Patent No. 2,115,693, for example, issued `to me on the 26th day of April 1938.

In the older type of folding racks the standards or supports have positions rearward of the usual folding lazyv tongs, the pivoted impalement prongs on said standards are covered by said lazytongsfin the folding or collapsing operation.

In the form herein to be described the standards carrying the impalement-'prongs in lying forward of the col-- lapsible lazytongs thesaid prongs are never in the way of the latter in the collapsing movement, and therefore, perfectv timing as between the housing or covering of the prongs and the said collapsing 'or'folding-ofvthe lazytongs is unnecessary.

' Also, when the prongs are forward of and clear of the lazytongs, and unobstructed, they are more readily available in presenting a greater free lengthfor the reception of the floral pieces.

In addition, the prongs may be placed in any position 1 parts hereof, and wherein Fig. l is a front elevation of a iioral rack according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a-side elevation of the same.

` Fig. 3 is a transverse section of a support or standard as part of the rack structure produced on a larger scale than in the previous figures.

Fig. 4 is also a transverse section of a support or standard showing an impalement prong in plan.

Fig. 5 is a plan of a slidable link shown in Fig. 2 together with another part of the rack shown in section.

Fig. 6 is an elevation in section of part of a support or standard of Figs. 1 and 2, much enlarged, together with an impalement prong and part of an actuating means therefor. Fig. 7 is likewise an elevation in section of a support or standard of Figs. l and 2, together with means for actuating the impalement prong shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a rear elevation of a support or standard of Figs. 1 and 2, much enlarged, together with means for actuating the impalement prong of Fig. 6.

Figs. 9 and l0 are each a transverse section of the support or standard of the earlier gures together with other parts including part of a lazytongs structure, and

ICC

Fig. l1 is a side elevation of parts shown in Fig. 2 at the upper end of the rear supporting leg.

In said drawings 1 indicates each of two upright spaced supports or standards of my lioral rack each of whichhas a form in cross section suchas shown in Figs. 3, 4, 9, and 10. These standards are preferably of metal and may be produced by extrusion, each having inthe front face thereof a groove 2.of awide spread extending longitudinally thereof communicating with which is a narrower longitudinal inner groove 3. In the opposite surface or rear surface of the standard is a groove 4 also extending in a longitudinal direction. Finally, a groove 5 extends along each of the other sides of the member lengthwise thereof, the purpose of the several grooves now to be made known. Between the grooves 2 and 4 is a web wall 1 connecting the sides in which the grooves 5 are located. In Figure 6 is illustrated an impalement prong 6 in side elevation, this being pivoted near one end within a recess 7 in the wall 1 of the support or standard 1y and at that end terminating in an extension 6 projecting into the groove 4 previously described wherein said extension is pivoted to arod 8 lying lengthwise in said groove 4.-.

To the. upper end of said rod 8 is connected one end of a coil spring 9, see Fig. 7, whose other end is suitably attached to the standard 1.

Near the other or lower end of the standard within a recess 10 in said wall 1 is pivoted one end of a lever 11 whose opposite end extends rearwardly beyond the rear face of said standard as in said Fig. 7, the lower end Normally, the

l. starrt-pull upon the Vrod- 8, to yieldingly maintain the .that four of Lsuchprongsareillustrated, and all of them are connected to the said rod S and therefor act in unison vin any endwise `movement of the latter. i

Rearward .of the two standards 1 as shown in Figures 1. and-2 ofthe drawings is shown a lazytongs of well known structure whose cross members are identified by 12 and 13, it being observed that certain of the places of crossing lof thesemembers lie directly behind the two` described standards at the middle width thereof.

.In Fig. 10, is `illustrated a U-,shaped member 14 which in this instance Vhas a liange 15 on each of its limbs which engage in the groove, 5 of a standard 1, one of these members 14 being mounted on each of the standards at the place of crossing of twoV lazytongs members along the-line n-a of Fig. l and each is fixed in position in any desired manner such as by pinning at 16, vfor example. Extending rearwardly Vfrom the member 14 of each bers, i12, YV13. Y.Pivoted tothe extremity of each stud rearward from thez said crossed members is the` leg 18, but one of which is shown, two of which together constitute a prop for the rack in the manner of an easel.

At other positions on places of crossing of the members 12, 13 at the two standards 1 are placed members 14', Fig. 9, similar to the members 14, these likewise engaging in the grooves 5 of the members and slidable therealong, and these members 14 may each have a stud 17 upon which the members 12, 13 are mounted. Clearly, the members of lazytongs may be laterally shifted, the places of crossing thereof being unchanged with respect to the position of the fixed members 14', although such lateral shifting is permitted by the slidable members 14. At the places of crossing of the members 12, 13, just below the positions of the fixed members 14 at each standard a link 19 is pivoted at one end to the stubs 17', the other end thereof being pivoted to a part slidable along a prop member 18 for an obvious purpose.

ln Fig. 8, part of the rear face of one of the standards 1 is illustrated. Within the groove 4 thereof the rod 8 and lever 11 previously described are shown. Adjacent said rear face is also shown a cross member 12 having a iinger 21 aixed thereto, see also Fig. 7. In respect to the several impalernent prongs 6 it has been stated that the spring 9 normally maintains them at their outer or extended positions as in Fig. 2, and in Fig. 6, also, in broken lines. However, where the rack is to be collapsed it is obviously desirable that the prongs be housed to protect them and also to protect the iingers of persons handling the structure. Therefore in the collapsing act the two fingers 21 are so located as to meet and depress the two levers 11, Fig. 7, at their extended face ends followed by a downward pull upon the rods and the elevation of the prongs in unison to their housed positions.

Since the prongs are far removed from the position and place of action of the members 12 and 13 in the rack-closing-action there is no requirement for exact timing in the housing of the prongs, and there can be no danger of crippling the operators iingers as can happen where the lazytongs have a position forward of and at the front face of the standards.

lt is noticed that the prong 6 when housed, as in Fig. 4 and 6, lies almost entirely within the groove 2, its point lying within the deeper groove 3. Thus housed the finger 2l permanently maintains the prong-point depressed an appreciable distance from the front face of the standard.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my application Serial No. 658,757, filed April 1, 1946, Floral Rack, Patent 2,549,352, April 17, 1951.

Application for reissue of this patent was filed on April 14, 1952, and given Ser. No. 282,192. The corresponding reissue patent was granted March 30, 1954, as Re. 23,812.

I claim:

1. A floral rack including in its construction a pair of standards, impalernent prongs each pivotally mounted between its ends on the same to normally project from the front faces thereof, a lazytongs supported on the standards rearward of the rear faces of the standards, the whole arranged and adapted to be collapsed as a unit, a finger carried by a member of said lazytongs and also located rearwardly over the rear faces of said standards and adapted in the collapsing movement of the latter to swing therewith, and means carried by a standard and pivotally connected to the ends of the prongs rearward of said standard, said means being engaged and operated by the said finger in the collapsing movement of the lazytongs to swing said prongs from their normal extended positions to closed and housed positions at the' standard carrying them.

2. A iloral rack including in its construction, a standard for receiving iloral pieces thereon for display purposes, an impalernent prong pivoted between its ends on said standard adapted at one of its ends to swing between two extreme positions, a rod pivotally attached to the other end of the prong, a lever pivoted on the standard and having said rod pivotally attached thereto, a spring mounted on the standard the same operatively engaging the rod and normally tending to urge it in a direction to swing the prong to an extreme position outward from the standard from the other extreme position at the .latter for housing the free end thereof, a lazytongs mounted on said standard and rearwardly thereof and free to pivot with respect thereto in a collapsing movement of the rack, and a lever engaging member carried by said lazytongs and adapted to engage said lever to actuate the same.

3. A floral rack including in its construction an elongated relatively narrow member substantially rectangular in its lateral measurement and having a groove extending longitudinally therealong in two opposite surfaces, a prong pivoted between its ends and extending through the member, one end of the prong adapted to be housed in one of the grooves, a rod in and extending along the other groove and attached pivotally to the other end of the prong, a spring operatively engaging the rod and urging it in a direction away from the position of the rod corresponding to the housed position of the prong, a lazytongs mounted on said elongated relatively narrow member and at the rear thereof and free to pivot with respect thereto in collapsing movement of the rack, a lever carried by said relatively narrow member and adapted to aetuate said prong, and a lever engaging member carried by said lazytongs and adapted to engage said lever to actuate the same.

4. A floral rack as defined in claim 1 in which said means carried by a standard is a rod, said rod has a lever pivotally attached thereto and mounted on the standard, and said lever is engaged by the finger to shift the prongs.

5. A floral rack including in its construction, a standard for receiving floral pieces thereon for display purposes, a plurality of spaced impalement prongs each pivoted between its ends on said standard and each adapted at one of its ends to swing between two extreme positions, a rod pivotally attached to the other end of each of the prongs, a lever pivoted on the standard and having said rod pivotally attached thereto, a spring mounted on the standard operatively engaging the rod and normally tending to urge it in a direction to swing the prongs toextreme positions outward from the standard from the other extreme positions at the latter for housing the free end thereof, a lazytongs mounted on said standard rearwardly thereof and free to pivot with respect thereto in a collapsing movement of the rack, and a lever-engaging member carried by said lazytongs and adapted to engage said lever to actuate the same.

References Cited in the'iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,552,199 Beckman Sept. 1, 1925 2,115,693 White Apr. 26, 1938 2,430,198 White Nov. 4, 1947 2,459,024 Gipson Ian. 11, 1949 2,493,810 Gipson Ian. 10, 1950 2,549,352 White Apr. 17, 1951 

